For the third time in three years, Plains Midstream Canada is contending with a pipeline leak, this time an estimated 950 barrels of natural gas liquids and by-products have spilled in northern Alberta.

The company has shut its Kemp pipeline, which carries condensates, after a spill was detected by an electronic system about 90 kilometres northwest of the town of Manning.

The company said it has activated its emergency response procedures.

Stephen Bart, the company’s vice-president of crude oil operations, said “industry-leading technical experts and regulatory bodies” are now involved in the cleanup effort.

“We regret this incident and are working around the clock to limit the impact of the release,” Bart said, in a statement released Saturday night.

The Calgary-based energy firm declined an interview request earlier in the day.

Investigators are still determining what triggered the spill, company officials said.

The Kemp pipeline is described as a 79-kilometre system that is six-inches in diameter.

The spill covers about 100 meters by 150 metres, roughly three and a half acres.

In its latest news release, the company stressed it is taking great lengths to minimize environmental impacts.

More than 40 workers — including emergency response specialists, environmental consultants, wildlife technicians, waste management experts and air monitors — are on site.

Officials are monitoring the air quality while also working to protect wildlife by patrolling the perimeter, setting up visual and audio deterrents and installing wildlife fencing.

ERCB spokeswoman Cara Tobin said the immediate focus is on minimizing the impact of the leak.

“At this point, the focus of the efforts, on both the company’s part and on government agency’s part is the response effort. That’s to make sure the pipeline is no longer leaking any new material, to make sure that they know the extent of it and then to begin the cleanup,” she said on Saturday.

The spill is not near running water, she added.

It’s not the first time Plains Midstream has been in the spotlight.

In 2011, a pipeline spilled 28,000 barrels of oil northeast of Peace River, closing a school in the nearby community of Little Buffalo and creating health problems for people in the area. That spill cost $70 million to clean up.

Last spring, another Plains Midstream incident saw 3,000 barrels of sour crude leaked into the Red Deer River system, a major source of drinking water in central Alberta.

Plains said it will release more information about the recent incident once it is available.

In a statement, Greenpeace Canada spokesman Mike Hudema said “two things are glaringly obvious” in light of the latest spill.

“The first is that these spills are far too frequent, and the second is that the government and it’s energy regulator are failing to protect our environment and our communities,” Hudema said.

“We need a truly independent system so that protecting industries image so the government can push more tarsands pipelines doesn’t continue to be more important than protecting the public good.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.